Zayd Dohrn's OUTSIDE PEOPLE Begins At Vineyard Theatre

The world-premiere of Zayd Dohrn's play OUTSIDE PEOPLE, directed by Evan Cabnet and co-produced by Vineyard Theatre and Naked Angels begins preview performances December 21 prior to an official press opening of January 10 at Vineyard Theatre (108 East. 15th Street).

The cast of OUTSIDE PEOPLE features Matthew Dellapina, Nelson Lee, Li Jun Li and Sonequa Martin-Green.

Set in modern-day Beijing, OUTSIDE PEOPLE, Zayd Dohrn's darkly comic new play is the story of a young American man, Malcolm (Dellapina) who falls in love with a young Chinese woman, Xiao Mei (Li). But as his eyes open to the subtle social, political and economic forces that inform their relationship, he must confront his complex place in this foreign culture, the friendship that brought him there, and his own deepest fears and desires.

Matthew Dellapina appeared Off-Broadway in DREAM OF THE BURNING BOY, IN THE FOOTPRINT, TELEPHONE and GONE MISSING. Nelson Lee appeared in the television series "Blade: The Series" and "Oz." Li Jun Li appeared in the Lincoln Center Theatre revival of SOUTH PACIFIC, and Off-Broadway in ROMEO AND JULIET and I'M STILL ALIVE. Sonequa Martin-Green has appeared in the television series "The Good Wife" and "Army Wives."

Scenic design for OUTSIDE PEOPLE is by Takeshi Kata (HORSEDREAMS, GONE MISSING, ADDING MACHINE); costume design is by Jessica Wegener Shay (DREAM OF THE BURNING BOY, NEXT FALL, THE MISTAKES MADELINE MADE); lighting design is by Ben Stanton (SEMINAR, ASCUNSION, ANGELS IN AMERICA); sound design is by Jill BC DuBoff (OTHER DESERT CITIES, CRADLE AND ALL).

Zayd Dohrn is a playwright and screenwriter. His plays -- including SICK, MAGIC FOREST FARM and REBORNING -- have been produced and developed across the country, including at Manhattan Theatre Club, Berkshire Theatre Festival, MCC, Marin Theatre Company, The Public (SPF), Naked Angels, South Coast Rep, The Vineyard, Southern Rep, Kitchen Dog, The Lark, New York Theatre Workshop, and San Francisco Playhouse. He earned his MFA from NYU and was a Lila Acheson Wallace Fellow at Juilliard. He received Lincoln Center's Lecomte du Nouy Prize, Theatre Masters' Visionary Playwrights Award, the Kennedy Center's Jean Kennedy Smith Award, and the Sky Cooper New American Play Prize, as well as residencies and/or commissions from Ars Nova, Alchemy Theatre, Dallas Theatre Center, The Stella Adler Studio, and The Royal Court Theatre of London. He is currently writing screenplays for American Film Company and Vox3 Films, a television series for HBO, and is a member of the WGA and the Dramatists Guild.

Evan Cabnet recently directed ALL-AMERICAN by Julia Brownell and the world premiere of David West Read's THE DREAM OF THE BURNING BOY (NY Times Critics' Pick; Drama League Nomination for Distinguished Production of a Play). Other NY credits include: Elizabeth Meriwether's THE MISTAKES MADELINE MADE and OLIVER PARKER!, Bekah Brunstetter's OOHRAH! and Mark Schultz's THE GINGERBREAD HOUSE. Regional credits include: Michele Lowe's MAP OF HEAVEN (Denver Center Theatre, world premiere), Donald Margulies' SHIPWRECKED! AN ENTERTAINMENT (Long Wharf Theater, East Coast premiere), and his own adaptations of UBU ROI and Salman Rushdie's HAROUND AND THE SEA OF STORIES (Williamstown Theatre Festival).

One of the nation´s leading non-profit theatre companies dedicated to new plays and musicals and bold programming, The Vineyard has consistently premiered provocative, groundbreaking works including the Pulitzer Prize-winning productions of Edward Albee´s THREE TALL WOMEN and Paula Vogel´s HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE, Tarell Alvin McCraney´s WIG OUT!, The Civilians´ THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY, Nicky Silver´s PTERODACTYLS and RAISED IN CAPTIVITY, the Laura Nyro musical ELI´S COMIN´, A BOY AND HIS SOUL, written and performed by Colman Domingo, Adam Rapp´s THE METAL CHILDREN, Will Eno´s MIDDLETOWN and Christopher Shinn's PICKED. OUTSIDE PEOPLE is the second production of The Vineyard's 2011-2012 season, following Nicky Silver's sold-out, critically acclaimed play THE LYONS starring Linda Lavin and Dick Latessa. On November 30, The
Vineyard and The Actors Fund will co-produce a concert version of John Kander and Fred Ebb's musical THE VISIT -- starring Chita Rivera and John Cullum -- at the Ambassador Theatre on Broadway. The world-premiere of NOW.HERE.THIS., from the creators of [title of show], and a developmental lab production of John Kander and Greg Pierce's musical THE LANDING will round out the 2011-2012 season at The Vineyard.

Vineyard Theatre is a recipient of the Tony Award for the musical AVENUE Q and continues as producer of the musical´s current production at New World Stages in New York. The Vineyard produced the world-premiere of the musical THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS -- with music and lyrics by John Kander and Fred Ebb, book by David Thompson, with direction and choreography Susan Stroman - in March 2010 and on Broadway. The Vineyard also produced the musical [title of show] both off and on Broadway.

Since 1986, Naked Angels has been committed to strengthening a community of artists through the development and production of provocative new work. The company has played a role in developing critically acclaimed new plays including Jon Robin Baitz's THE SUBSTANCE OF FIRE and Warren Leight's SIDE MAN, and producing the world premieres of Stephen Belber's TAPE and FAULT LINES, Elizabeth Meriwether's THE MISTAKES MADELINE MADE, the U.S. premiere of Chloe Moss' THIS WIDE NIGHT and, most recently, Geoffrey Nauffts' Tony Award-nominated play NEXT FALL. From New York to LA, the company inspires artists to generate fresh voices to generate new work through its popular Tuesdays@9 (cold readings of plays, screenplays, stories and music in early development), 1st Mondays (public readings of new full-length plays), and Angels in Progress (weeklong workshops). The company's newest venture, Naked Radio, brings the work of talented new writers from the stage to the digital airwaves through weekly blogs and podcasts.

Mr. Aibel is Artistic Director of Vineyard Theatre, Jennifer Garvey-Blackwell is Executive Producer, Sarah Stern is Co-Artistic Director and Rebecca Habel is Managing Director. Andy Donald is Artistic Director of Naked Angels and Renee Blinkwolt is Managing Director.

Performances of OUTSIDE PEOPLE will run December 21 though January 29 with a performances Tuesdays at 7pm, Wednesdays through Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 3pm and 8pm and Sundays at 3pm (with the following exceptions: no performance on December 24 or December 25, or the Saturday, December 31 8pm performance; and Sunday, January 1 performance will be at 5pm). Tickets for OUTSIDE PEOPLE are $70 - with premium tickets available for $100 - and can be purchased online at www.VineyardTheatre.org or by calling 212-353-0303.

For more information about OUTSIDE PEOPLE, please visit www.VineyardTheatre.org or www.nakedangels.com.